When people voted for Obama they were voting for change; and for most people that change was a change towards bi/non-partisan politics, for putting the interests of individuals ahead of the interest of corporations/unions/special interest groups, for fiscal responsibility and a move away from perpetual deficits, and a de-escalation of conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan. What people have seen from Obama’s presidency has been (basically) the complete opposite of what they voted for.

I think a large portion of young people that grew into adult hood during the Bush years assumed they must be democrats. Because, hell look at what the republicans are, and you'd have to be an idiot to be that. But now this generation is seeing what Democrats are and are thinking to themselves "Well, Fuck I don't want to be this either." I'm guessing alot of Libertarians will be born from this presidency, and I'm betting the majority of them won't know what the hell a libertarian is. But as long as it's not a republican or democrat it must be good...right...right?

This actually reminds me of an excerpt from one of Douglas Adams Hitchhikers books.

A large spaceship has crashed into Harrods of London, and a large robot has emerged and says, "take me to your lizard." Ford Prefect explains this to Arthur Dent: "It comes from a very ancient democracy, you see ..."

"You mean it comes from a world of lizards?"

"No," said Ford, "nothing so simple. Nothing anything like so straightforward. On its world, the people are people. The leaders are lizards. The people hate the lizards and the lizards rule the people."

"Odd," said Arthur, "I thought you said it was a democracy."

"I did," said Ford. "It is."

"So," said Arthur, hoping he wasn't sounding ridiculously obtuse, "why don't the people get rid of the lizards?"

"It honestly doesn't occur to them," said Ford. "They've all got the vote, so they all pretty much assume that the government they've voted in more or less approximates the government they want."

"You mean they actually vote for the lizards?"

"Oh yes," said Ford with a shrug, "of course."

"But," said Arthur, going for the big one again, "why?"

"Because if they didn't vote for a lizard," said Ford, "the wrong lizard
might get in. Got any gin?"

@vagabond. Thats exactly right!

People assume that voting for the major party they hate least is better than voting against both major parties (which seems to be just throwing your vote away). It will take a strong and charismatic third party leader to convince the people that a vote against both major parties isn't worthless.

Your democracy actually is somewhat broken in how biased it is towards your two ruling parties, a viable alternative is needed. I think a system more similar to the Westminster system actually works better in the end.

I love this day. It seems a thread of people seeing like I have been preaching for over a year now :).

Happy day indeed. The day people realize it's not the party, it's the system.

Read this Reuters article when u get a chance: http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE57U41Z20090831

In it is the following

Top political analyst Charlie Cook, in a special August 20 update to subscribers, wrote that "the situation this summer has slipped completely out of control for President Obama and congressional Democrats."

"Many veteran congressional election watchers, including Democratic ones, report an eerie sense of déjà vu, with a consensus forming that the chances of Democratic losses going higher than 20 seats is just as good as the chances of Democratic losses going lower than 20 seats," he wrote.

Cook is not a run of the mill desk lackey.  He is up there with Rasmussen in name recognition.

I can say one thing as absolute certainty.... Roland Burris is out when his term is up. I'm fairly certain a Repub. will take his spot.